The Washington critic., 1887-12-16

"Oh, ycs, | would,' said Lottic; 81
think you are the incest man i'll the
Except whom"
81 was going to say Harry"
Exceedingly fine compliment you are
paving me. You expect some OF my
flowers for that tidbit of flat
terry"
I.ottic did not reply, but looked In
such CONSERVATION from the roscbush
to himself that the Doctor could not but
smile.
"You would like to hear the story?
Well, IL never came from my lips before,
little miss, but will give it to you.
You see, had been medical student
under old DIR. West, and when he died
got my diploma and stuck my shinglo
out here. Soon after that | got ac-
quaintcd with us trim II built girl ms you
often sec, and after u while, somehow
or other, VIC became engaged. was
young and had my way to make, and we
resolved to wait two years before set
tling down. Over back of tho hills
yondcr there lived n girl named Nancy
Brown, pretty, pale creature, who
seemed just ready to go of to the angels.
was called 10 attend her, and | wanted
to do my best. | knew they would
never pay me cent, and perhaps for
that reason went little oftencr than
needed. Nancy had one precious thing,
her rosebush; small then, but giving
promise of great things. II did seem as
If everybody bcgrudgcd il TO her, for
half the town in one way or another,
sought TO make it worth her while 10
give II up.
"Pcrhaps the motives were good.
But, though Nancy was in comparative
poverty, no gold was yellow enough to
buy her one treasure. Well, her fra
gility proved not to be incipient con-
sumption after all, and time went on un-
til within twcnty-four hours of my we'd
ding day, and that morning was IN my
office here oil the watch for my sweet
heart, who soon, all smiles and bllshcs,
with the consciousness that it was inc
last time as Il maiden, came tripping
down the street. I went out to meet
her. This bush, not half as large as it is
now, stood here in my window.
Oh said my bride that was to be,
in a pretty rapture, Nancy has sold you
lier rose! Did you cross it root and
branch with silver coin"
"'Not /. Nancy gave ii to me of her
"A Jealous flush came over my girls
proud face.
"I Thought she said, that your
visits there were more frequent than her
illness called for. You love her, and,
if you are fair to her you are false to me.
81 made sharp reply. She had
charged me with double dealing. We
were both terribly angry. The next
morning we were to have been married.
That was fifteen years ago, and we have
never spoken together since. Nancy
was going away to fulfill II promise made
in childhood. and she gave me her rose
because | had saved her life for her
lover" Perhaps had; but she had I'M
knowingly ruined mine. ] kept the
bush, and 1t has blossomed every month
with all its might. More than one young
mother has begged of me some dainty
buds to clasp in her dead baby's hand
and many IL bride has pleaded with
sweet lips for lust few blossoms to gem
her hair | have denied them all, and
have never cut one of the flowers until
it withercd from the stem. II was moi
for Nancy's sake, either, but somehow
for the fife that was to have blessed
mine" ,.,,.
i'But you did not love your sweet.
heart much" vcntured Lottie, winkine
of the salt drops that had collected on
her long lashes. .y.t.
"Not love her?" roared the doctor
'Zounds! can chit like you undertake
to gauge the depth of Il mans soul?'
'.If you had you would have acted
differently.li bravely asserted his small
council of one, sitting in judgment with
her chin resting ON her hand.
Acted differently" thundered the
iratc doctor. "Pray, Miss Wisdom
how should / have acted?"
"You should have said to your sweet
heart, Il do mot love Nancy, but | love
her rose. She is going away and gave
it to me in gratitude. But i give tn,
rose and myself and all that / have tt
YOU, because | love you better than al
the world Then, don't you see tha
everything would have been smooth
and you would have been all these year.
full of ioy?"
"Zounds! so / should" exclaimed th'
excited doctor, rising to his feet, John
come in here" he called. Help mt
wrap up this rose tree. There, put it oil
your hand sled and draw it home fo
this young lady and set it in the house
And you, little miss, present it with my
compliments and best wishes to Mis-
Henrietta Henshaw. Good heavens
what a fool" said the doctor, strikin;
his bald head u vigorous thump, whei
left alone.
Lottie did as she was bidden, givin,
Aunt Hetta such n galvanic shock us t.
paralyze her, but the good lady came t.
enough to glance furtively down TIN
street to see really that the ''imperti
ncnt white thing" was no longer starin
at her from the doctors bay window
She had bay window, too, lookln
southwark, and into it she contrivcd t
roll the great box with its wealth q
white blossoms.
The doctor, looking stealthily on
from his dismantled corner, drew hi
own conclusions.
"Ahemw said Miss Hetta. "Ioy
long would it take to work that non
sense YOU were talking about?"
81 could get il done by night" gaspe,
Lottie, all of u delicate tremb'e.
"Well, child, / did not mean to b
cross. Take this and do as you pleas
with it,"
I.ottie's hand closed quickly over tn
gold coin, but she did not need a tent
of il, and she worked the whole after
noon 10 tiF uctTlHitht vi itI piuc eye
and the loss of her supper, till on a gar
net ribbon broad satin stitch of gold
ornamcnted with tiny forget-me-nots
lettered out the II. b. NJ. which stoo
not for Her Brittanic Majesty, but som
one every bit as regal-Henry b. Mar
vcrs, otherwise Harry.
She had run down the hall, which wa
flooded with light, and greeted Harry
and had Just secured the hatband in hi
hat when the parlor doors were throw
open, and there stood Aunt Hetta, blush
ing through the frosts of forty winters